At the Fourth ESG Innovation Annual Meeting (2026) and the Second ESG Expo held on September 19, Li Sheng, Deputy General Manager of China Railway Resources and Chairman of Huagang Mining, shared insights with financial media during an interview. He noted that the primary distinction between Huagang Mining's ESG model and that of Western mining corporations lies not in technology, but in the "value orientation."

According to Li Sheng, Western mining companies' ESG initiatives are predominantly driven by capital markets, with a primary focus on "risk management." In contrast, Huagang Mining, as a Sino-Congolese joint venture, has embedded its ESG governance into the China-Congo "package" cooperation framework from the very beginning, aiming to be accountable to both shareholders and the host country, with an emphasis on "shared development."

Regarding implementation, Western mining companies typically adopt a project-based approach to community responsibility, relying on donations and third-party projects. Huagang Mining, however, has institutionalized community investment by allocating no less than 0.3% of its annual revenue to surrounding communities. The company signs social responsibility agreements with these communities and has built Inga Village, the first model new countryside in the Democratic Republic of Congo, benefiting over 2,600 villagers and transforming the approach from "giving fish" to "teaching fishing."

On the topic of standard-setting, Li Sheng proposed that Chinese mining enterprises should complete a transformation from "followers" to "contributors." This involves refining measurable and replicable practices—such as localized employment, community co-construction, and the integration of mining with infrastructure development—into indicators that can promote mutual recognition between Chinese mining ESG standards and international norms.

As a world-class ultra-large copper-cobalt mining enterprise, Huagang Mining has been exploring emission reduction potential through resource recycling and digital-intelligent upgrades. The copper produced using clean hydropower has been dubbed by the industry as "the world's lowest-carbon copper."

"When Chinese mining companies go global, they export not just production capacity, but also standards, technology, and responsibility," Li Sheng explained. Huagang Mining has adhered to localized employment, creating over 20,000 jobs in total. It has also established the first vocational skills training center in the DRC, providing free training to more than 45,000 trainees.

Under the China-Congo "package" cooperation framework, both parties have implemented 64 infrastructure projects, constructing over 1,100 kilometers of roads that benefit 39 cities across 17 provinces in the DRC. This integration of mining and infrastructure has enabled a single mine to stimulate development across an entire region.

"When Chinese enterprises invest and cooperate in Africa, we need to think about what we leave behind. A hospital, a school, or a well—helping local people improve their lives is our original intention," Li Sheng stated. "Ultimately, ESG answers the same question: What is resource development for?"

"Extracting resources is for enabling development, and protecting the ecology is for the long-term future," Li Sheng emphasized. He noted that Huagang Mining will continue to be guided by high-standard ESG governance, cementing its experience in green mining and local symbiosis into replicable and scalable models. This approach aims to contribute more Chinese solutions to the high-quality Belt and Road Initiative and the construction of a new era China-Africa community with a shared future.